"Grandmother with Dementia, How to Ensure She Takes Her Medicine?"... Now Chatbots Provide the Answers

KIST Develops AI-Based Knowledge Service Platform Sharing Various Dementia Symptoms and Care Methods

Artificial Intelligence Dementia Patient Management Knowledge Service Platform. Photo by KIST.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] As the aging population rapidly increases, care for elderly dementia patients has emerged as a social issue. In response, a platform utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) has been developed to deliver and share customized dementia patient care know-how.

The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced on the 4th that the research team led by Im Yoon-seop of the Dementia DTC Convergence Research Group developed an AI-based dementia care knowledge service platform that provides and shares care methods suitable for various dementia patients' symptoms and living environments.

This platform consists of an ontology (agreed knowledge or concepts)-based knowledge base, an inference system, and a graphic-based user interface. The ontology knowledge base contains information on dementia patient care methods, living environments, medical knowledge, daily living abilities of dementia patients, and information about patients or their surroundings. According to user queries, the platform performs inference of appropriate care methods and care knowledge for dementia patients by utilizing inference rules defined in the ontology. A graphic-based user interface was developed to allow easy use via personal computers or portable smart devices. By directly inputting and updating information about dementia patients on the platform, users can easily obtain care information suitable for the patient's current condition.

The research team verified the validity of the collected care knowledge and the accuracy of the ontology model through interviews with care workers actively working in dementia care from the early stages of knowledge base development. Ultimately, usability tests of the developed service platform were conducted with experts from Seongbuk Senior Welfare Center and Gwangju Hanul Nursing Home, each with over 10 years of experience, to assess practical applicability.

Dr. Im Yoon-seop of KIST stated, "It can also be applied to AI technology-based care services such as robots and chatbots," adding, "It is expected to play an effective role in reducing the burden of dementia care for families and care workers."

The research results were published in the June issue of the international journal Journal of Medical Internet Research.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.